Prosecutors have begun laying out their case against singer D4vd in a Los Angeles courtroom, presenting graphic evidence they say proves the 21-year-old murdered and dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The preliminary hearing, expected to last several days, will determine whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial.
The prosecution alleges D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, met Hernandez when she was 11 and began a sexual relationship when she was 13. According to court documents, Hernandez threatened to expose the relationship and ruin his music career. Prosecutors say Burke arranged an Uber to bring her to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, where he stabbed her multiple times and watched her bleed out.
After the killing, Burke allegedly took “horrifying measures” to dispose of the body. Prosecutors say he purchased two chainsaws, a shovel, body bags, and an inflatable pool online under a fake name. He used the pool to prevent blood from spilling on the garage floor while he dismembered her body . Her remains were found in the front trunk of his Tesla at a Hollywood impound lot in September 2025. DNA evidence, surveillance footage, text messages, and phone records are expected to be presented during the hearing.
